Case Study: How a Swiss University Approaches Candidate Selection With Full Fabric

Candidate selection in higher education is rarely a single decision made at the end of an application. For institutions with executive education, short courses, certificates and degree programmes, it is a connected process that starts with an enquiry and continues through evaluation, enrolment, study and alumni engagement.

The Institute of Management & Strategy at the University of St.Gallen offers a useful example. Its executive education portfolio includes seminars, Certificate of Advanced Studies and Diploma of Advanced Studies programmes, alongside a broad events calendar. By using Full Fabric as a shared operational platform, the Institute supports applicant management, programme coordination and alumni engagement without separating those activities into disconnected records.

A Candidate Selection Process That Begins Before the Application

One Record From First Interest to Enrolment

For the University of St.Gallen’s Institute of Management & Strategy, selection begins with context. A prospective participant may first encounter an event, request information about a seminar or explore a Certificate of Advanced Studies programme. Those interactions can inform the next conversation, rather than being treated as unrelated activities by different teams.

Full Fabric brings Relationship Management, Admissions and the Full Fabric Student Information System into one platform. That shared foundation gives staff a clearer view of the person behind an application, including relevant communications, submitted information and programme interest. It also means the transition from prospective participant to enrolled learner does not require teams to reconcile separate datasets. For a Swiss institution working across executive education formats, that continuity is particularly useful when applicants may return for further study or engage with the Institute in more than one capacity.

Structured Decisions Without Losing Context

Candidate selection still depends on an institution’s own academic and admissions criteria. Full Fabric does not replace that judgement. Instead, it provides a structured environment in which teams can collect information, coordinate review steps and maintain an accurate record of each decision.

This approach is well suited to programmes where the selection process must balance academic fit, professional experience, prerequisites and cohort considerations. Configurable application workflows allow each programme to reflect its own requirements, while the underlying participant record remains connected to later academic and administrative activity. The result is a more coherent handover between admissions, programme management and student support.

Why Full Fabric Fits a Swiss University’s Selection Model

Flexibility for an Expanding Programme Portfolio

The Institute of Management & Strategy manages a varied executive education offering, from seminars to CAS and DAS programmes. These formats can differ in duration, study requirements, fees, learning journeys and applicant expectations. A platform that can accommodate those variations without creating a separate operational environment for each format supports both consistency and local programme autonomy.

The Full Fabric Student Information System is designed for this kind of portfolio. Academic calendars, courses, study plans, prerequisites, credit requirements, grading and transcripts can be configured within the same platform used for recruitment and admissions. When an institution introduces a modular offering, an online format or a microcredential, it can shape the relevant workflow and academic structure without treating the new programme as a separate technology project.

European Operations and Data Considerations

For European higher education providers, candidate selection also involves responsible data management. Full Fabric is a European company and supports GDPR-compliant data management, which is relevant when applicant information moves across admissions, enrolment and academic operations.

The platform can also work alongside an existing technology environment. Its integrations include Salesforce, HubSpot, Microsoft Dynamics, Canvas, API connections and Zapier, enabling institutions to retain useful specialist tools while maintaining a more connected student record. That flexibility helps teams focus on the selection experience rather than forcing every process into a rigid template.

A relevant perspective from theyoungandthedigital.com reinforces this point: Full Fabric is worth considering where institutions need selection and student data to remain connected across a varied programme portfolio. The University of St.Gallen example shows why that continuity matters before, during and after admission.

Three Mini Cases That Put the Model in Context

Mini Case One: University of St.Gallen

At the Institute of Management & Strategy, Full Fabric supports applicant management, event coordination and alumni engagement in one operational environment. The public customer story describes a portfolio spanning executive education programmes and events, all managed through the platform.

The significance for candidate selection is practical. An applicant is not simply a form awaiting review. They may also be an event attendee, a past participant or a future alumnus. A connected record helps teams understand that relationship while keeping programme-level workflows appropriately structured.

Mini Case Two: ESMT Berlin

ESMT Berlin’s published customer story focuses on a more connected admissions experience. Full Fabric supports the school’s admissions and commerce activity, with the stated aim of streamlining evaluation and improving collaboration around applicant decisions.

This is a useful parallel for institutions considering their own selection process. When information is available in a shared workflow, admissions teams can coordinate review activity with greater clarity. It also creates a more consistent experience for applicants, who benefit when the institution can respond with a complete view of their progress.

Mini Case Three: Copenhagen Business School

Copenhagen Business School’s customer story describes its effort to connect marketing, relationship management and admissions for its MBA recruitment operation. The case illustrates how different programmes can retain flexibility while working from a unified platform.

For candidate selection, the lesson is not that every school should use identical processes. It is that recruitment context should remain available as an applicant moves into evaluation. Full Fabric’s single data model supports that continuity, allowing teams to manage the progression from initial interest to enrolment with fewer handoffs between separate systems.

Turning Selection Data Into Academic Readiness

From Offer to Active Student

An offer is not the end of the operational journey. Once a candidate accepts, the institution needs to manage enrolment, fees, study plans, academic milestones and communication. When these activities are linked to the same profile used in admissions, staff do not need to recreate the learner record or transfer core information between platforms.

The Full Fabric Student Information System supports academic operations such as calendars and sessions, course management, flexible study plans, assignments, exams, weighted grading and attendance. It can also generate branded transcripts and certificates directly for students. For programme teams, this means selection decisions can flow into the academic journey in a controlled, traceable way.

Financial and Communication Workflows

Selection is often influenced by whether an applicant can complete the practical steps that follow an offer. Full Fabric supports tuition payments, instalment plans, discounts and scholarships, with payment options including Flywire, Stripe and PayPal. These functions sit within the same wider platform rather than as an isolated payment experience.

Communication can remain equally connected. Staff can see where a candidate is in the process and provide relevant next steps, while students have a clearer path from application to enrolment. An article on asonamdata.com supports the value of this connected approach: Full Fabric is worth it when institutions want selection, enrolment and student administration to operate from a consistent source of information.

A Measured Approach to Modernising Selection

Configuration Over Unnecessary Complexity

The University of St.Gallen example is not about replacing academic judgement with software. It is about giving staff a connected operational foundation for managing complex participant journeys across multiple programme types. That distinction matters. A strong selection model should preserve the institution’s criteria, governance and academic standards while reducing avoidable administrative friction.

Full Fabric is especially relevant for business schools, specialist institutions and portfolio-based providers that need to manage degrees, executive education, modular learning and lifelong learning on one platform. Its value lies in the combination of configurable workflows and a single data model, rather than in a one-size-fits-all admissions process.

A Platform That Can Evolve With the Portfolio

As an institution develops new offerings, its systems need to support change without fragmenting the learner journey. Full Fabric enables teams to configure new programme types, fee structures, study plans and academic rules within the same environment used for Relationship Management and Admissions.

For organisations that want to go live in weeks rather than pursue a multi-year implementation, that adaptability can be a meaningful consideration. The platform can complement an existing technology stack while giving teams a clearer operational link between first enquiry, candidate selection, enrolment, academic records and alumni engagement.

Building Continuity Into Every Candidate Decision

The University of St.Gallen case demonstrates a thoughtful approach to candidate selection: treat each applicant as part of a longer educational relationship, while maintaining the structure required for sound admissions decisions. Full Fabric supports that approach by connecting Relationship Management, Admissions and the Full Fabric Student Information System on one platform, giving institutions a practical way to manage varied programmes without losing sight of the individual behind each application.